Set The Fire To The Third Bar
by hopkiins
Summary: Tweek tries to convince Craig to open up to him, but Craig doesn't want to look weak in front of his boyfriend.


a while back on tumblr somebody asked me to write a creek drabble. i originally posted this to ao3, but forgot to upload it onto here, too

this is actually part of a large creek fic i hope to eventually publish

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"You're trembling," Tweek says, his voice raising an octave as he worries over his boyfriend of nine years, fussing with the buttons on his shirt that have been sewed back on time and time again.

"I'm fine, Tweek," replies Craig, taking a deep, shaky breath to help calm himself down. It's something his therapist taught him to do when he was under so much stress, and sometimes it helped. This was not one of those times.

"Craig, just talk to me."

"I said I'm fine, babe. Calm down."

Tweek doubted those words, but stopped pestering him. Instead, he frowned and left the living room. Now in the kitchen, he slipped on his oven mitts and opened the door to the furnace, carefully pulling out the cupcakes he and Craig had been baking earlier, making sure to turn it off to avoid almost burning the house down again. He allowed them to cool for a moment as he searched for the frosting.

He could hear a sob echo through the empty house and turned to look at Craig, who was trying his best to keep his composure. Another frown found its way to Tweek's lips and he abandoned the tray of freshly-baked cupcakes to seat himself back beside his boyfriend.

"Craig?"

"I-I'm fine, Tweek."

"No, you're not. Talk to me."

Craig didn't look at the blond, opting to stare at the carpeting as he hugged himself. A hand was placed on his shoulder, rubbing comforting little circles into his skin as one of Craig's own hands covered his face as he let out another choked sob, huddling in on himself even more than he had before.

"I don't- I-I can't-"

Tweek didn't respond this time, only wrapping his arms around Craig's neck and pulling him closer as he rested his head on the taller boy's shoulder. His hands still rubbed circles, and it was helping to calm Craig down. Not a whole lot, but just enough that he could form coherent sentences. They've always had that kind of effect on each other.

Craig shakes again, but this time it's because of the long breath he takes. He tilts his head ever so slightly so that it's resting atop Tweek's and his hands quickly manage to find bandaged ones. He links them together.

"I've, uh. Been thinking. A lot. About us, our future," Craig suddenly says, which is the most Craig has really ever said to him when regarding his most inner feelings, cut off from the outside world.

This causes Tweek to look at him. "What about us?" He decides to ask, and then Craig goes silent again.

"Nevermind, it- it's stupid," is what Craig finally blurts out. He nudges Tweek off of him and stands. "C'mon, we have to finish those cupcakes." And with that, he retreats into the kitchen.

Tweek follows him, and doesn't try to pry Craig for answers as they're frosting the miniature cakes. He'll open up when he feels like it.

He's searching for sprinkles when he hears Craig talk again.

"Do you think I'm weak?"

Tweek is shocked enough by that to almost stumble off of the counter, just barely managing to catch the container before it could crash to the ground.

"What? Craig, babe, you're the strongest person I know." It's true. He's never seen someone so closed but still manages to bare through everything that's been thrown at them. Today was one of the first times that he's ever seen Craig breakdown and cry. Tweek hopes that this kind of thing doesn't happen often. What if he wasn't there to comfort Craig when he needs it the most? Tweek doesn't like to think of it.

"That's not what I mean."

Something hits Tweek like a truck. He gets it.

"Is- Is this about..?"

He's only given a solemn nod as a response, and he gets it even more now.

It doesn't take long for Tweek to return to the safety of the ground, and he immediately wraps his arms around his boyfriend's waist, nuzzling his head under Craig's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm- I shouldn't have left you like that."

Craig tangles his hands in Tweek's golden locks. "No. It wasn't- it was never your fault. That guy he-" Craig cuts himself off, shakes his head to clear the memory from his mind.

"Let's just. Stay like this, okay?" Craig asks softly as he takes the sprinkles from Tweek's hand.

"Yeah," Tweek agrees, "Let's."

He doesn't know what exactly happened when Tweek abandoned Craig back when they were visiting his grandmother a couple months ago, but Craig said something once that made his skin crawl and he's felt guilty ever since.

He just wants Craig to be happy again, after what happened. But right now, he's okay like this: Craig's arms around him as they cuddle on the sofa, watching some shitty romcom together and slowly drifting off.

Yeah, this is okay. And maybe Craig will eventually be okay, too. Tweek will give his all to make sure of it.

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reviews are always greatly appreciated btw! i don't usually get comments on my fics, and i'd really like to know what you guys think


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